The only other time her mother acts like this is when Daddy’s away and three women come over to play bridge. Then, from her bed, the child can hear the ladies jabbering and cackling like strange jungle birds.

Usually, her mother is reserved and distant, unless it’s to tell somebody to dry the dishes or go play outside.

Now, here in Grandma’s living room, her mother and some of her mom’s old childhood friends aren’t playing cards, but they may as well be, the way their laughter ricochets off the wallpaper.

Grandma’s living room is gloomy, even on this sultry summer evening. Dark wood furniture, a giant fern shedding dead leaves onto the scratchy sofa, and yellowed drapes smelling of attic press in on her.

Observing her mother chatter and giggle is like watching a snake play the xylophone. Mesmerizing and menacing.

A surge of laughter pierces the air, startling the girl. They’re looking expectantly at her.

“Are you ready for school?” the grinning woman with pointy shoes is asking.

The question is an impossible riddle. When you’re six, there’s nothing to do to get ready. You just wait for September, wait at the bus stop, wait for the bell to ring and so on.

The woman’s Avon grin wilts. The air thickens, shrinks, hurts. Shrill laughter explodes around the girl.

“Shut up!” She knows she said it because her cheek stings where Mommy’s hand landed.

“Go upstairs.”

Deeply embarrassed and grateful to be released, she obeys her mother.

Lying awake in Grandma’s spare bedroom, she hears their noises slither up the stairway and under the door. She was as astonished as everyone else was when those words erupted from her without forethought or warning. She’s awed at the impact her words had.

She’s afraid, but it’s not the dark that scares her.

Proverbs 13:3 “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

1Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:

3The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out defiantly in full view of all the Egyptians, 4who were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods.

5The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Sukkoth. 6They left Sukkoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert. 7They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol. 8They left Pi Hahirotha and passed through the sea into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah. 9They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea.b11They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin. 12They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13They left Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai. …32 more verses cite places they’d left

50On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, 51“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 52drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. 53Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 54Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.

55“ ‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.’ ”

What have you left behind along the way during your journey with God?

What did He give you as a reward for your obedience?

What might still be giving you trouble?

What’s the value of keeping a journal, as God had directed Moses to do?

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

A “squatter” who’d lived in my brother Eric’s basement for years, and left in Feb. is causing me concern.

Dear God, Please protect my brother, Eric, from Vince whose mind is ruled by Satan. Do not allow Vince (or anyone acting on his behalf) to contact my brother or me any more to continue to lie, steal, destroy. Please protect my brother and me from any and all emotional, physical or financial damage intended to be inflicted by Vince. Please do not allow Vince to come near Eric, Eric’s apartment, me, my house or anyone else to do harm. I also pray that Vince sees the Light NOW and becomes a new man. In Jesus’ name, I and my friends of Your church, pray and thank you.